Which term describes a depression in the skin resulting from thinning of the epidermis or dermis?

Which term describes a depression in the skin resulting from thinning of the epidermis or dermis?

• A. Atrophy
• B. Ulcer
• C. Scale
• D. Scar

Answer: (A)

Atrophy describes thinning and wasting of skin tissue, so the surface becomes sunken or depressed when the epidermis or dermis thins. This matches a depression in the skin caused by thinning. An ulcer is a loss of tissue with a crater-like opening, a scale is flaky dead skin, and a scar is fibrous tissue that forms after healing and doesn’t describe thinning of the skin itself.

Atrophy describes thinning and wasting of skin tissue, so the surface becomes sunken or depressed when the epidermis or dermis thins. This matches a depression in the skin caused by thinning. An ulcer is a loss of tissue with a crater-like opening, a scale is flaky dead skin, and a scar is fibrous tissue that forms after healing and doesn’t describe thinning of the skin itself.